RE: The burgeoning Full Thrust "scene" in Grand Rapids, MI

G'day,

> Oh, yeah, Derek and Beth probably have lots of good ideas of 'bringing
> along' youngun's.

- Don't start with too many ships and at first give adults weaker ships
than the kids (not by much, but just give the kids a little edge)
- Start with direct fire weapons only (beams for a few games, then torps
etc), but you can build up to placed marker stuff and fighters
- Let them go first (if they're teamed up with an adult they'll accept
initiative rolls, but if by themselves they usually gripe before 6)
- Before 5-6 just let them say where they want to go (write your own
then get them to say where they want to go, writing there's down is good
as it gives them the clue that that's what you're supposed to do). Once
they can write for themselves and can distinguish left from right then
writing orders is the done thing for them too
- Sound effects are a must... they should always be, but with children
they take the edge of the hurt of a loss (especially if you play up your
own dying sounds) and can be excused with justification when people look
at you strangely ;)

After a few games you'll know you'll have succeeded when they whop your
butt when you were trying to beat them fair and square! Worked for us at
least, Lachy runs his DOR ("Destroyer of Races" which are SV miniatures
with SSDS = a mish-mash of alien tech), Janneke has taken over "her
Japanese" (i.e Stablazers as opposed to Derek's GZG Japs) and Mei (now
nearly 2) is an ace die roller (who yet again has taken after her Dad in
the "rolling what Daddy needs for her to blast Mummy" stakes).

With a family of 5 you could hold your own FT convention ;)

Cheers

Beth